


TsukiKane Week: Hunger

by ryoflame



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Birthday, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Clothing Kink, Cooking Lessons, Dubious Consent, Dubiously Consensual Blow Jobs, First Time Blow Jobs, Kagune Sex, M/M, Masturbation in Bathroom, Prompt Fill, Tokyo Ghoul: re, Tumblr Prompt, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-02 04:57:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2800394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryoflame/pseuds/ryoflame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven chapters, seven prompt-fills for TsukiKane week from December 19th to December 25th.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Meetings | First Times

**Author's Note:**

> Not all chapters are explicit and they're not necessarily sequential. Each chapter is an entirely separate prompt fill and while they may allude to one another have all been written independently of one another. Enjoy!

_Presence._

It’s something that’s noticeable from the moment a person walks into the room. It’s indicated by a tension in the air, by the way heads turn to look at the newcomer, from subtle reactions and expressions on the faces of each of the other people involved in the scene.

When Tsukiyama Shuu first enters Anteiku, it’s impossible to ignore his presence.

Kaneki has read a lot of books; everything from the complicated and philosophical to mindless, self-indulgent fantasy stories. Kaneki imagines that his introductory paragraph might read like if Tsukiyama were to be a character in one of his books.

_As he enters, all eyes turned to him. He seems used to it, carrying himself with a relaxed confidence as he leans against the door frame, casually observing the inhabitants of the café. His gaze is sharp, not missing a single detail, his hair is impeccably styled and his clothes look expensive and perfectly tailored, their lines accentuating long limbs and a slim figure. As he steps into the room, something in the air changes--the café’s workers seem to tense, watching him just as carefully as he watches them._

Kaneki feels himself flush and he drops his gaze to the tray in his hands, heart beating wildly for a second. Who is this? Who is this person with a smile that is both charming and for some reason terrifying? He hears the murmur of conversation around him but his mind doesn’t quite process it, and when he next glances up he sees the newcomer standing directly in front of him.

Kaneki nearly drops his tray.

Instead, he clutches it to his chest like some sort of protective barrier, his guard up as the man leans in a little closer, examining him.

‘And who is this?’ he asks quietly as his gaze drags down over Kaneki’s form, leaving him feeling terribly exposed. From the corner of his eye he can see Touka standing at the counter, watching the exchange with a hawk’s gaze and looking like she’s ready to step in and put a stop to it at any moment. Kaneki isn’t sure if he wants her to or not.

‘Kaneki Ken. I’m… new.’ he finds himself saying without meaning to. Something about the man’s voice commands a response. His eyes are wide as he looks back up at the other and his breath hitches when Tsukiyama leans in and inhales slowly and deliberately though his nose.

_Is… is he smelling me?_

‘Hmm.’ the man murmurs as he draws back and his tone is interested, contemplative. Kaneki realises without a doubt that he must be a ghoul. The predatory look in his eyes is one that’s become oddly familiar with the unfortunate boy, and he can see that all the ghouls in the establishment are on guard while the regular human customers sit and chat idly amongst themselves. ‘Well, Kaneki-kun. My name is Tsukiyama.’ he bows in greeting, then straightens up, his thumbs hooking into the pockets of his pants as he smiles down at him. ‘And I must say, I wouldn’t mind getting to know you a little better, _comprenez vous_?’

‘Buy some coffee or get out, would you?’ Touka snaps at him from across the room. ‘Better yet, buy some coffee _and_ get out, shitty gourmet.’

Kaneki feels like he’s missing something, like there’s bad blood in the air that he isn’t privy to. Certainly there’s something about Tsukiyama that’s gotten his heart racing but he isn’t entirely sure that it’s fear.

‘Ah, _oui_. In a moment.’ Tsukiyama waves a dismissive hand in Touka’s direction and she looks furious, but that is outside of their interaction; Kaneki feels like he’s locked inside a very small room with this stranger and that the air around them is suffocating him and his focus is entirely on the man taking up so much of his personal space.

‘Kaneki-kun, perhaps you could show me to the bathrooms before I am forced--’ he looks across at Touka. ‘--to leave?’

Kaneki glances at Touka but she’s glowering at Tsukiyama and doesn’t return the look. He takes this as an indication that it should be okay so he nods. ‘Sure. It’s just…’ he points off behind Tsukiyama.

‘Can you show me?’ the man’s smile is pleasant and even though he’s still cautious, Kaneki nods. He squeezes past the other, forced into his personal space by the way he’s been wedged back against a table from Tsukiyama’s closeness and he scurries ahead with the other strolling comfortably along behind him.

‘Just down that way.’ Kaneki points to the door but Tsukiyama’s not paying attention; he glances back behind him in the direction of the café’s main interior and suddenly seizes Kaneki’s wrist. The boy has just enough time to yelp in surprise before Tsukiyama pulls him into the tiny bathroom and snaps the door shut behind them.

Suddenly Tsukiyama seems a lot bigger, a lot more imposing. Suddenly the friendliness seems like a mask over a look of hunger and... something else. Kaneki backs away, his back hitting the wall after only half a pace; the bathroom is no more than a small toilet cubicle with a corner sink and with two people inside there is next to no free room.

'Wh-What--'

Tsukiyama cuts him off by moving forward and Kaneki utters a short, high sound as one of the man's hands slides invasively in between his thighs, sliding in up under the black apron he wears while he works in Anteiku to press firmly against his crotch. The man presses him back into the corner with his whole body and he braces an arm against the wall above Kaneki's head as his knee forces between Kaneki's thighs as well, forcing them to stay apart. He's still smiling but now it's with bared teeth and Kaneki is trembling against the wall as he stares up at him with wide eyes.

'W-W-What are y-you--ahh--!' his words dissolve into a cry as Tsukiyama squeezes slightly and the man's other hand comes down now to clamp over his mouth.

'Shhh, _cherie_. I have maybe five minutes with you, ten if I'm lucky, before that nosy little girl comes sniffing around looking for you.' Kaneki's hands are pushing at the one molesting him but Tsukiyama is deceptively strong and doesn't budge an inch. 'And I think you will like where this goes. I think you're _already_ liking it.' to prove his point he shifts his grip, palming him in a way that has Kaneki shuddering out a breath into the hand over his mouth.

Kaneki doesn't have time to protest, can't even find the breath for it before Tsukiyama is sinking to his knees in front of him, pushing the apron aside as his hands work expertly to undo the boy's pants. Kaneki is wedged into the corner with Tsukiyama directly in front of him and the toilet right beside him and he has nowhere to wriggle away to.

'It's not really my kind of place to do this,' Tsukiyama murmurs, giving the stall a quick glance of distaste. 'But I'm hungry, and you smell divine, and a snack in the most unsavoury place is better than no snack at all.'

Kaneki is so overwhelmed by how fast everything is happening that he barely has time to take in the other's words before the gourmet's mouth is on him. His knees nearly buckle, his head is thudding with all the blood rushing to it but what doesn't go up goes down instead, straight to his cock as Tsukiyama's lips close over his quickly-hardening length. Kaneki's hands scrabble at the walls, seeing anything to get a grip on; he's too scared to grasp the other's hair, too worried he'll mess up the impeccable styling of it, even as Tsukiyama's head disappears under the apron completely until Kaneki can't see what he's doing, until the only view he has is the rhythmic bob beneath the apron's black fabric.

But he can _feel_ it.

Tsukiyama is _good_ at this. Kaneki can't see the man's face, can't see what he's doing but he feels the hot, wet sensations of the other's mouth on him, of man's tongue as it drags along him, hears the other's groan of pleasure and feels it vibrate through him. He jolts with a whimper as he feels a very light scrape of teeth and then covers his mouth with both hands out of the fear that someone outside will hear what's going on.

' _Tres bien..._ You taste as good as you smell, Kaneki-kun...' Tsukiyama purrs, coming out from under the apron just long enough to look up at him with half-lidded eyes that seem clouded in a feverish sort of way as he lick the moisture from his lips. 'This is going to be a rare treat indeed.'

'Please...' he whispers, feeling a nearly uncomfortable, tight feeling coiling low in his gut as Tsukiyama disappears beneath the apron again. 'Ngh... o-oh, god...' he's panting harshly and chokes when the gourmet suddenly sucks hard at the head of his cock, one of his hands stroking firmly at the base. Nothing about this is gentle or loving--it feels good, yes, but instead of a slow burn of pleasure Kaneki is dizzy with the fast pace and it nearly _hurts_ , even though it still feels so good he thinks he might pass out.

It feels like hours when Kaneki knows it can only have been minutes, but he comes when the head of his cock hits the back of Tsukiyama's throat and his knees buckle. One of Tsukiyama's hands seizes his hip, pressing him hard back against the wall so he doesn't sink down and Kaneki can _feel_ the way the other swallows around him, can feel as the man chokes slightly, draws back while dragging his lips tight along the length to gather everything he can and as he emerges from under the apron again he's swallowing a second time, licking his lips like a contented cat that's just discovered spilled milk. All Kaneki can do is look down at him with wide eyes as he shivers from the aftermath of his orgasm, chest heaving with panting breaths.

Tsukiyama stands slowly, deliberately taking his time as he dusts off the knees of his pants and turns to the tiny mirror on the wall above the sink. He swipes a thumb over the corner of his mouth where he's missed a spot and smooths down his hair which has become tousled from his stint under Kaneki's apron, before he finally turns to the other boy again.

Leaning in, he brushes his lips against Kaneki's ear and softly whispers. ' _Merci_... I think we will be seeing more of one another, Kaneki-kun.'

Kaneki collapses onto the toilet seat, a mess of rumpled clothes and sweaty hair while Tsukiyama somehow manages to look exactly the same picture of perfection as he did first walking into Anteiku.

He knows he probably shouldn't feel a thrill at the thought of seeing the gourmet again.

But he does.


	2. Family | Happy Birthday, Kaneki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukiyama reminds Kaneki about what's important.

'Happy birthday, Kaneki-kun.'

Kaneki stops in the doorway and stares at the man in the living-room armchair. A quick glance around tells him no one else seems to be home, it's only him and Tsukiyama and his guard raises a little.

'What are you talking about?'

'It's your birthday.' Tsukiyama leans forward and carefully pushes a wrapped gift toward him on the coffee table. The box isn't extravagantly packaged and not especially big but Kaneki can't help but be a little wary of what its contents might contain. The man might be their companion now and they might be somewhat more... intimate at times but he still doesn't entirely trust him.

Still as he thinks about it, rolling the other's words around in his mind he realises Tsukiyama is right. Today is his birthday, December 20th, and Kaneki hadn't even really noticed. All around them in town the Christmas decorations had gone up and Kaneki had observed it with a detached sort of interest but he hadn't even really correlated that the arrival of Christmas also heralded the arrival of another special day.

'How did you know that? I didn't tell anyone.' he can't help sounding defensive even though he knows this sort of conversation isn't the type to be having with a defensive tone; a thank-you had been on his lips as a first response right after Tsukiyama's greeting before he had caught himself. Now he feels slightly guilty for not having let the thanks out in the first place because it sort of feels like he can't backpedal.

Tsukiyama has long since gotten used to the coldness of his behaviour and he maintains his careful poker face with a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. He doesn't answer Kaneki's question and instead indicates that the other should sit down in the chair nearby.

With some hesitation, Kaneki does.

'It's not really worth celebrating anyway.' he says quietly, sitting stiffly and uncomfortably in his seat. He's been outside and is still wearing his thick hoodie, snowflakes melting on his shoulders and the hood pulled up over his head. As Tsukiyama watching him in further silence he yanks the hood off and sits awkwardly in his place.

'That is a matter of differing opinion.' Tsukiyama says quietly before leaning over to move the gift in his direction again. 'Please.'

Kaneki glances down at the gift, then up at the man offering it. Carefully he reaches over and takes the box; a case of plain black faux-leather, tied with a red velvet ribbon. 'It's expensive, isn't it?' he asks the question rhetorically, perhaps a little more snippily than Tsukiyama deserves considering the man hasn't said a single thing during this whole encounter to signify ill intent. When Tsukiyama doesn't rise to the bait and doesn't give him any more to work with Kaneki simple unties the ribbon and opens the books.

The silver watch inside _looks_ expensive. It isn't as luxe as Tsukiyama's own but it's a beautiful piece nonetheless and as Kaneki examines the black and silver face he sees the smaller dials indicate dates and even the phases of the moon. Perplexed, he looks across the table at the other.

'Tsukiyama, I can't take this.'

'Why not? It's a gift. Do you not like it?'

'It's... well it's beautiful but it's... too much. Come on, picture me wearing something like this; I don't have your wardrobe, I don't have the clothes to pull off such an expensive accessory. It'd be weird.'

Tsukiyama tuts and shakes his head, rising from the armchair for the first time since Kaneki had come in. Moving around the coffee table he drops to one knee by Kaneki's seat and takes the box from him, pulling the watch from it's casing and holding out his hand expectantly to the half-ghoul. Kaneki purses his lips unhappily but after a moment's hesitation he holds out his hand and Tsukiyama takes it, pulling it closer before he slips the timepiece onto his wrist and snaps the clasp shut.

' _Trés bien_. It suits you wonderfully.' He tilts Kaneki's hand, admiring the way the shiny face of the watch catches the light. His gaze travels up along Kaneki's arm to his face which is a little more red than it had been before, and the gourmet leans down to press his lips against the back of his hand in a gentle, sincere gesture that carries the kind of flourish that is so _typically_ Tsukiyama and yet carries none of it's over-the-top drama.

'Don't ever say...' the words start as a murmur against Kaneki's skin and grow clearer as he pulls back. 'That you are not worth celebrating.' his other hand comes down on top of Kaneki's so he's clasping it with both his own, his thumb tracing over the skin with a warm gentleness that makes Kaneki want to pull back simply because of how foreign it is.

'Tsukiyama I'm not in the mood for your jokes today I'm--'

He cuts himself short as the look in the other's eyes changes, as Tsukiyama draws himself to his feet and braces himself with a hand on the armrest of Kaneki's seat until their faces are only inches apart. Kaneki has long ago stopped fearing Tsukiyama but he can't help shrinking back in his seat at the look of fury in the man's eyes--and beneath it all... hurt.

'Do I look like I'm joking?' while the gourmet's tone is relatively calm, there's a strain to it that indicates he's holding something back. His eyes narrow, his free hand coming up to nudge under Kaneki's chin as their breaths mingle in their closeness. Kaneki's hands are gripping the sides of his seat without him noticing; this is the most forceful he's seen the other in a long while. He remains silent, feeling like there is more to this scolding yet to come, and he's right.

Tsukiyama's challenging look eases off a little, gives way to a look of pain that Kaneki has never seen before. It shocks him more than the other's sudden movement, than the gourmet's anger. 'Don't ever invalidate yourself when you are so, _so_ important to me. To so many people. You're so desperate to prove to others how important they are and you neglect yourself. It's a harsh lesson you were taught at Aogiri and yet somehow you don't seem to have learned it.'

Kaneki begins to protest. 'No, I'm just--'

But Tsukiyama cuts him off again sharply. 'Don't make excuses, you know you're doing it. The false modesty is almost worse than your complete lack of concern for yourself. _Enjoy_ your birthday. Let others celebrate it, even if you normally wouldn't. Let others celebrate _you_ , although you normally wouldn't. Let others celebrate the light you've brought into their lives, their familial bonds for you, their love for you. Put aside your vendettas and your hatred for a single day and take the time to remember that people _love_ you.'

Kaneki swallows thickly, floored by the barrage. It's something he would normally never have expected to hear from the self-absorbed gourmet--Touka, perhaps, but _never_ Tsukiyama--and he might have thought it another front for something else if he isn't able to see the raw emotion in the man's eyes.

'I'm sorry.' he says quietly. Immediately Tsukiyama withdraws, straightening up.

'Don't be _sorry_ , _mon dieu_... just make the effort to smile today.' crossing his arms over his chest and turning away, embarrassed by his own outburst, Tsukiyama draws a deep breath. Kaneki can see the tension in his shoulders and he stands up to place a gentle hand on them, seeing the flash of his new gift on his wrist. Fir the first time that day he does smile slightly.

'Thank you.' he's finally able to say it and it feels as natural as it would have if he'd said it the moment he had walked into the room when Tsukiyama had first greeted him with the gift in the first place. 'Shuu, thank you.'

The other turns at the sound of his name, both surprised and pleased. When Kaneki rises on his toes and leans in to press his lips softly and chastely against Tsukiyama's mouth the gourmet makes a soft sound and a hand catches Kaneki's waist to hold him in place as their kiss lingers.

They both jerk back away from each other as the front door opens and voices spill inside; Hinami runs in excitedly with a bunch of flowers and Banjou follows with his trio of friends tagging along behind him.

'Happy birthday, Kaneki!!' she declares excitedly as she thrusts the flowers out at him, her eyes shining with excitement

Banjou is more subdued, ambling up behind her with a sheepish look and holding out a wrapped box. 'Happy birthday. Why didn'tcha tell us your birthday was coming up? We didn't really know until today so everything's a little rushed. But I hope you like it.' the other three chime in with the same greeting, all holding out gifts excitedly as Kaneki looks over at Tsukiyama questioningly.

The gourmet shrugs and smiles. ' _Oui_ , I told them. Because I knew you wouldn't.'

As Hinami piles the flowers into Kaneki's arms the half-ghoul feels his chest tighten with emotion. As his friends press in around him he can bring himself to forget just once about the ones who are absent. As he smiles and laughs with the group of people who love him, as they joke about what the ghoul equivalent of a birthday cake might be, Kaneki feels that perhaps Tsukiyama is right for once--and that it might not be so bad to celebrate the love in his life after all.


	3. Kagune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagune-fucking. There's really not a lot else to say about this one other than I like seeing Tsukiyama wrecked.

Before he had laid eyes on Kaneki's _rinkaku_ , Tsukiyama had never imagined he would find a kagune erotic. It isn't even like he's never seen anything like it before--after all, it didn't start off as Kaneki's, it began as _Rize's_ , but there is something in the way those tendrils unfurl from Kaneki's lower back that send shivers down the gourmet's spine in ways that it never did when he had seen it coming from Rize's.

Like any kagune they are an extension of Kaneki, a set of extra limbs for him to control at will. They can lash as fast as a whip, or curl slowly and deliberately around their chosen prey to strangle the life from it. Tsukiyama has experienced both first-hand and he'd be lying if he said he never wanted to experience it again.

When Kaneki stands there with his kakugan-red eye glaring out from his signature mask, with the four tendrils curled in the air like scorpion tails poised to strike... that's when Tsukiyama finds him the most beautiful.

He likes the view best from when he's on his knees.

'Who's my obedient little dog?' Kaneki's voice seems different when it comes from behind that mask of leather and steel as if the accessory somehow changes the person beneath it--and maybe it does, because Kaneki is rarely more intense than when he's growling commands out from between those zippered teeth.

' _C'est moi_.' Tsukiyama's voice is shaky as he sits on hands and knees in front of the half-ghoul with his head bowed as if seeking forgiveness. With Kaneki it always feels a little as if that is the case, so it's only partially an act. The gourmet's heart beats wildly in his chest and he keeps his gaze firmly on the ground, only daring to look as far up as Kaneki's bare feet, as he had been commanded to.

He sees one of those feet rise from the floor and grimaces as he feels the weight of it press down on his shoulder. He knows the signals well by now and as the pressure increases he bows to it, wincing as his shoulder hits the ground although he manages to turn his face aside in time to avoid a potentially broken nose. From this angle he can't see much of anything anymore, certainly not the rinkaku ghoul who stands over him with his foot planted right over the spot where Tsukiyama's own kagune would burst from, if he chose to call upon it.

Kaneki knows well that he won't.

'Speak normally for once, would you?'

'Me.' Tsukiyama gasps, his fingers curling against the rough carpet beneath them. 'It's me.'

'What's you?'

'I'm your... your obedient little dog.'

The pressure lifts from his shoulder and when Kaneki speaks next it's much closer by Tsukiyama's ear. The gourmet can smell him, can imagine him crouched down over him but doesn't dare lift his face from the floor. 'That's right. But I've been having to remind you of that a lot more recently, haven't I? You've been taking a lot of liberties lately, haven't you?' Kaneki's hand is nearly soothing as it strokes over Tsukiyama's hair and the gourmet closes his eyes as he shudders, both at the other's cold manner of speaking and the way it ignites him inside.

'I've misbehaved.'

The half-ghoul laughs shortly. 'Oh, that sentence could sum up your entire existence.' a hand reaches out past Tsukiyama's face, sneaking in under him just enough to seize a hold of his tie. Kaneki pulls sharply and Tsukiyama chokes as he's yanked up, finding that the other has sat cross-legged in front of him with his expression mostly hidden by his mask and his eye narrowed. The gourmet says nothing, makes no move to touch him even though he's so close. This is Kaneki's game, with Kaneki's rules.

The kagune are still poised behind him; Tsukiyama's eyes go to them involuntarily, the tendrils undulating slightly in the air like the tail of an animal stalking prey. Perhaps the metaphor isn't so far-fetched, either. The other's grip on his tie has pulled it tight around his throat and he can feel the blood pounding at his temples while the rest of it rushes swiftly to his cock. His knees are still tucked under him from his posture before, his ass up in the air as he sits uncomfortably like this, his eyes showing Kaneki a silent plea as he licks his dry lips.

'How do you think I should handle behaviour like yours?' Kaneki's free hand props up his chin as he winds the hand gripping Tsukiyama's tie up in the satin fabric. The gourmet chokes again, feeling dizzy as his air is almost completely cut off but he still doesn't move. They've danced this dance several times before and Tsukiyama is a quick learner. Just as his vision begins to blur, Kaneki lets go of his tie and the air rushes back into his lungs. His cock strains against the front of his pants now, extremely uncomfortable and he shifts the tiniest bit to try and get a bit of friction to soothe it.

Two of Kaneki's kagune tendrils lash out, each winding fast around Tsukiyama's thighs. Like the tentacles of an octopus they're dexterous and strong, gripping tight and yanking his legs apart as he utters a short, sharp sound of surprise.

'Did you think I didn't see that? I never said you could pleasure yourself in any way. Bad dog.'

'K-Kaneki-kun, I-I...'

'Don't give me your excuses and apologies. Put your mouth to better use.' the half-ghoul grunts and unfastens his belt, dragging the zip on his pants down exaggeratedly slow. Tsukiyama's gaze drops to the young man's crotch and he inadvertently feels his mouth water. Kaneki laughs.

'Look at you, drooling like an animal, licking your lips. You're so fucking predictable, you pervert. You'd have any part of me I'd put on offer but you _love_ having my cock in your mouth, don't you?'

'Yes...' Tsukiyama doesn't even realise he's saying the word in breathless tones as he reaches forward with trembling hands, sliding them along Kaneki's still-clothed thighs. When the other doesn't stop him he creeps forward, and although the kagune is still gripping his thighs it allows him those several precious inches.

He noses into the other's pants, coming up against the fabric of Kaneki's briefs and taking a slow, deep breath. He feels light-headed as Kaneki's scent, musky and perfectly unique fills his nose, the very smell of him settling into his body like an aphrodisiac. Kaneki leans back, bracing himself on his arms as he watches the gourmet and Tsukiyama makes a soft sound of yearning as he breathes out over the bulge just beneath his lips.

He mouths over the fabric first, seeking out the shape of the other's cock through it even though the softness of the briefs dries his tongue quickly. Kaneki seems to like it, his breath hitching momentarily before it steadies again as Tsukiyama slowly and carefully explores his offered treat.

'Hurry up.' Kaneki groans and the gourmet hurries to obey, long fingers hooking into the elastic waistband of the other's briefs and tugging the fabric down to pull out the half-ghoul's waiting erection, wasting no further time as his mouth closes over the head. Kaneki's soft moan is music to his ears and the saliva lost during his little exploration earlier comes back in full force as the taste of him hits his tongue, the delectable little drops leaking from him setting his taste-buds ablaze.

He gives a low, wanton sound of his own at the taste and Kaneki chuckles. 'You'd think you'd never tasted it before or something, the way you react every time.'

' _C'est magnifique_ ,' Tsukiyama murmurs with his face flushed as he swallows, before moving down over him again and moaning in pleasure as he slides his lips and tongue along the full length of the cock in his mouth. He feels one of Kaneki's hands brush over his hair again before his fingers roughly take hold and suddenly Tsukiyama is not moving at his own pace anymore. Suddenly Kaneki is the master and the gourmet is the puppet to move at his will.

As the half-ghoul abruptly forces him down, the head of his cock hitting the back of the man's throat Tsukiyama utters a soft choking sound--but it's less from what's happening with his mouth, and more from the surprised of an unexpected touch against his skin; while leaning forward his shirt has come untucked and has slid up to bunch a little around his waist, leaving part of his lower back bare. A slick tendril now slides over the exposed skin, the tip of it playing around the waist band of Tsukiyama's pants before sliding in under it. Tsukiyama thanks the heavens he isn't wearing a belt that day, as the tip wriggles in further to slide along the cleft of his ass.

Tsukiyama's enthusiasm in his task increases, his fingers closing around the base of Kaneki's cock as he lets the other move him as he will, as Kaneki's hips roll up so he's fucking Tsukiyama's throat at his own preferred pace. Tsukiyama knows he will be hoarse by the end of it but he doesn't mind, not when _this_ is the reason for it.

The kagune tendril feels slippery as it slides deeper into the back of his pants. Tsukiyama knows that they can soften or harden at will, but the secretions he feels against his skin now are new to him and the cautious voice in the back of his mind--which is usually silent when Kaneki is involved--can't help piping up as he feels his skin tingle. But with Kaneki keeping his mouth so carefully occupied, Tsukiyama is in no position to protest and as two of the tendrils still keep his thighs firmly parted, the third begins teasing his entrance with its tip.

The promise of that touch has him whimpering and squirming, even as he continues to suck the other off, getting messier with every passing second as saliva and other fluids dribble down over his chin, as he slurps noisily and eagerly at the mess he's making with his eyes half-closed in delight. He tries to wriggle back against the probing appendage but the other two gripping him make it almost impossible to move. The worst part is that with his pants still done up and with the tendril straining at the waistband his cock _hurts_ with the way it's trapped in pants that are suddenly far too tight.

He wants to beg but he's literally choking on the length in his mouth, his eyes watering from the abuse to his throat as his fingers scrabble at Kaneki's thighs and after a moment more of this torture Kaneki lets him go so he slides back off him with a wet pop that sounds deliciously obscene. He can only imagine the mess he must look, with tousled hair and his lips and chin streaked with fluids, his eyes moist and face flushed. Kaneki certainly seems to enjoy the sight; he stares long and hard at the man on his knees before him.

When the kagune tendril begins pushing its way inside, Tsukiyama's arms give way and he lets out a trembling wail as he topples forward into Kaneki's lap. He can't twist back enough to look but he can feel the firm wetness of the appendage as it pushes in deeper, wriggling around to stretch him open. The sensation is bizarre and unlike anything Tsukiyama has ever felt before but it feels _good_... and he realises it's affecting Kaneki too as he feels the other's thighs trembling beneath him and the half-ghoul utters a low moan.

Tsukiyama wonders briefly if the kagune have nerves in them that process pleasure to Kaneki. He stops wondering as the thing stops squirming around inside him, draws back and then firmly thrusts back inside. The gourmet makes another shameful sound, his face pressing in against Kaneki's muscled stomach. He knows he has a job to do--Kaneki's cock is right there and one of the other's hands is fisting into his hair again but he can't get over the sensation of the kagune moving into him in a rhythmic action, filling him up, pulling back, sliding back in so deep that if it weren't for the others holding him still he might collapse entirely.

'Fuck, you... ahh... look good like this...' Kaneki sounds breathless and Tsukiyama realises the other's hand it's pulling at his hair but stroking it in an almost tender way. 'All red, sweating and crying out so shamelessly. You like it when I fuck you like this?' as if to punctuate the question, the tendril pushes in so suddenly that Tsukiyama's mouth opens on a silent cry and his fingers desperately drag along Kaneki's sides. 'Mmhmm... you do. Look at that face. You can take a lot more than this, can't you?'

Tsukiyama tries to speak his name, tries to say anything coherent but he can't. The tendrils around his thighs have eased up a little and each thrust of the one into him is rocking him slightly forward now. He bows his head, taking the half-ghoul's cock into his mouth again and lets Kaneki do the work, setting the rhythm, driving him forward over and over as he expertly sucks at him though his normally careful ministrations are clumsy and unfocused as he's battered by sensation at all sides.

Tsukiyama comes first as the tendril presses in deep and coils, grinding hard against his prostate until the gourmet is seeing stars. His pants are still firmly zipped up and he groans as the orgasm jerks his whole body taut--he has to pull himself up off the other just to avoid biting down on him. Even as he rides out his orgasm with a shiver he goes back to pleasuring Kaneki, and he's barely down off the high of his finish when the half-ghoul bites back a cry, inhaling sharply instead as Tsukiyama feels the come coat his tongue. He barely has the energy to swallow, but he does and Kaneki's taste is like heaven as it slides down his throat.

So perfect. So uniquely wonderful. He would suffer humiliation every day if only his reward at the end would be to taste this sweet flavour.

He feels the kagune slide slowly out of him and the sound he makes is one almost of disappointment at the sudden loss. But he's exhausted and as the others slowly unwind from around him he slumps bonelessly to the floor, his head still in Kaneki's lap as he pants softly to regain much-needed air.

Kaneki is still stroking his hair softly, tenderly, a direct contrast to how he had been at the start of all of this. As Tsukiyama turns his gaze up, he sees the other has removed his mask and is smiling fondly down at him.

'You alright?' Kaneki asks carefully, sounding nearly as out of breath as Tsukiyama himself, his concern evident and honest. 'Was that too much?'

The gourmet shakes his head to banish the half-ghoul's worry and chuckles softly, but he can't quite find the words to reply.


	4. Suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe, Tsukiyama did it (god bless you for that battlesuit, Tsukiyama)

Kaneki laughs, which Tsukiyama can’t help finding hurtful as the gourmet stands in front of the half-ghoul with his offering.

‘I’m not wearing that.’

‘ _Pourquoi_?’ the man holds up the garment in front of Kaneki as if trying to picture him in it and the other smacks his hands aside, taking a step back.

Kaneki doesn't need a perfect grasp on the French language to know a 'why' when he hears it. ‘Are we looking at the same thing, here? What you’re holding looks like something out of a fetish magazine, not a battle suit designed for high mobility and made up of high-endurance fabric which is what I _asked_ you for.’ Kaneki sighs, running a hand back through his hair as he gives the suit another quick lookover. ‘I knew I should have asked Uta for help, but I thought with your fancy wardrobe and connections, you might…’

‘I collaborated on this piece with Uta, actually.’ Tsukiyama replies frostily before he reigns in his irritation at the dismissal of his hard work. ‘He supervised the design and included some of his own input, as well as establishing what material would work best for such a piece.’ he folds the suit up and slides it back into the bag he had carried it over in. ‘We had it made precisely to your measurements, a suit intended for close-combat fighting while still leaving room for your kagune to move with ease.’

Kaneki regards him carefully for a moment, taken off guard by the sincerity and obvious hurt in the gourmet’s tone. For a moment he looks uncertain, shifting his weight and uncomfortably hooking his thumbs in his belt loops just to give his hands something to do. ‘You guys came up with _this_ as the best possible solution?’

‘You haven’t even tried it on.’

Kaneki glances down at the bag and then stretches out an arm as he glances away. Tsukiyama thinks he looks like a petulant child being forced into doing something by its mother. While the image amuses him he still feels indignant at Kaneki’s earlier scorn, but he hands the bag over nonetheless, the half-ghoul peering into it and reaching in to touch the fabric.

‘It seems…’ Kaneki hesitates. ‘…tight.’

‘You’ll find out if you try it on, _non_?’

Kaneki doesn’t look like he entirely trusts Tsukiyama and probably rightfully so, considering the man’s many previous attempts at coercing him into things purely for the gourmet’s own pleasure. 'There is not enough material in this bag to cover my entire body. I dread to think how this is going to look when I put it on.'

'Kaneki-kun perhaps... you are bashful?'

The slap across Tsukiyama's face is sudden and it _stings_ but the gourmet thinks it's entirely worth it when he sees how red Kaneki's face is and how the other the other's hands tighten on the bag. 'Watch it. You're lucky I'm even giving this some thought.'

Rubbing a hand over his sore cheek, Tsukiyama only smiles and offers a modest bow to the other, knowing better than to say anything since it will probably get him in trouble regardless of what it is. Kaneki's moods are unpredictable, although Tsukiyama does find the sulky ones quite _dolce_.

The wait is a long one. It begins to stretch into the sort of length where Tsukiyama begins to wonder about Kaneki's wellbeing. Perhaps the suit is too tight and he's gotten himself tangled? The gourmet's smile is perhaps less than pure as he slowly moves down the hall to Kaneki's door with light, careful steps, not wanting the half-ghoul to know he's there just yet. He listens at the door but he can't hear much. He presses his ear against the wood, frowning in concentration as he tries to gauge whether it's a situation he'd be welcomed into.

He doesn't have much choice when the door opens and the gourmet, who has been leaning a little more heavily on it than he had first thought, loses his balance and staggers, nearly colliding with the figure on the other side of it.

He comes face to face with the slick surface of Kaneki's new battle-suit. While the fabric isn't lacquered vinyl--Tsukiyama found that too cheesy-looking, too cheap--the texture of it leaves a sheen similar to that of spandex and the gourmet swallows thickly as he sees the way the fabric hugs the contours of the muscles in Kaneki's abdomen. He slowly straightens up, his gaze traveling over the white lines adorning the sides, up over Kaneki's chest with the fabric stretched taut over it, up over the enticing gaps in the fabric on the other's shoulders.

When he meets Kaneki's gaze the other looks less than impressed. One hand is planted on his hip, the other hanging at his side and there is thunder in the half-ghoul's look.

'Enjoying the view?' he asks, and his dangerous tone tells Tsukiyama it would be a good idea to _lie_.

Tsukiyama licks his lips which suddenly feel entirely too dry and he clears his throat, though he can't help but keep letting his gaze wander. He has to put his hands behind his back to clasp them or else he knows he won't be able to resist reaching out and dragging his fingers along the lines of the other's body, so wonderfully accentuated by the outfit that sits tight enough to be like a second skin.

'It suits you.' he manages to say successfully without letting _I want to run my hands over every inch of you_ to the end of it.

'It's tight.' Kaneki complains, moving aside and walking back into the room. There's a long mirror on the inside of his closet door which he's apparently been standing in front of already and he moves back over to it, twisting around to see the gaping expanse of skin at the back. 'And is this entirely necessary?'

Behind his back so Kaneki can't see, Tsukiyama is pinching the inside of his wrist between the fingernails of his thumb and forefinger of his other hand. The sharp pain helps keep him grounded--which is a good thing since the way that Kaneki twists and turns in front of the mirror makes his muscles shift beautifully under the battle-suit, and his _ass_...

'It's so that your kagune has enough room to move when it comes out.' the gourmet explains with a little more strain in his voice than usual. He slowly moves into the room and immediately wishes that he hadn't because Kaneki's smell permeates everything in here and it only adds to his distress. His gaze ghosts over the other’s exposed shoulders again and he hopes that Kaneki at least doesn’t ask about _those_ because then the gourmet might be forced to explain that he really only put those in the design for his own benefit.

'I feel exposed.' Kaneki grimaces as he stands facing the mirror. 'It's... not bad, I suppose, but I want to wear pants over it. Even shorts is fine, it just really doesn't leave very much to the imagination.'

Tsukiyama freezes as their eyes meet in the mirror and he realises he's been making steady progress toward the other until he's standing directly behind Kaneki. The half-ghoul watches him warily, his back still to the other man, but some of his tension seems to ease a little after a moment and a smirk pulls at his lips.

'Looks like _your_ imagination is working just fine.' he reaches back, grabbing Tsukiyama's belt and yanking the gourmet forward unexpectedly. Tsukiyama isn't able to stop himself from colliding with Kaneki's back and he draws a sharp breath as the erection tenting the front of his pants slides against the other's ass. His hands are on Kaneki's shoulders, having come to rest there to steady himself but he’s mortified to find he can’t bring himself to pull away.

‘You, ah…’ he tries to come up with something coherent and insightful about Kaneki’s appearance but the other--and this _might_ be his imagination, Tsukiyama thinks--is pressing back against him just so that his ass is rubbing ever so lightly along the front of the gourmet’s pants. Tsukiyama feels dizzy, and the grip on Kaneki’s shoulders tightens a little.

And just like that, Kaneki pulls away from him with a burst of laughter. ’You’re so damn predictable. I knew it, though, I _knew_ it. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable way to design this thing without making it so open but you couldn’t help yourself.’ he goes over to the drawers nearby and paws through them before pulling out a pair of plain black shorts and holding them up in front of him. ’The open back is a good idea. And it’s comfortable _and_ I like the fabric. But if you’re going to be my sword then the last thing I need is you spacing out in the middle of a fight while you stare at my ass.’

Tsukiyama begins sputtering protests but he’s not really fooling Kaneki or himself. He watches in dismay as Kaneki pulls the shorts on over the bodysuit and pulls the strings tight. It takes away from the aesthetic of the outfit as a whole but the gourmet bites his tongue, knowing that nothing he says will convince Kaneki to change his mind. Rather it might only cement the other’s decision.

‘I guess it isn’t so bad.’ Kaneki muses as he regards the combination in the mirror. ’I’ll wear it, just to see how it goes. If your battle-suit is everything you say it is I’ll keep it… I’m sick of going through new clothes because my kagune rips through them.’

‘As you wish.’ Tsukiyama nods, hands in front of himself now to try and hide the strain in his pants which is very much still there. He hopes desperately for a way to excuse himself, but when Kaneki turns to face him and drops his gaze to the rather obvious attempt at modesty the gourmet flushes darkly, feeling sweat break out on his brow.

‘Or… we could spar right now.’ the half-ghoul quirks an eyebrow, stepping closer. ’I’ll get to test the limits of your creation, and the both of us will get to let off some steam. How does that sound?’

‘I would like that very much.’ the gourmet manages to say with a wry smile. There are _many_ ways in which he intends to test the durability of the other’s suit, but for now a fight will be more than enough to sate him.


	5. School of Ghoul | Alternate Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> student-life!AU, Kaneki has a crush on a student from another university who shares his morning commute. Hide is an embarrassing but good best friend, as normal.

Kaneki sits anxiously in his seat on the train. Next to him, Hide is chatting about some TV show he had been watching the night before but Kaneki is distracted, his fingers idly twisting in the leather strap of his bookbag as he looks out the window.

'Dude, are you even listening to me?'

'What? Sorry!' Kaneki twists around to face his friend, startled out of his distraction by Hide tapping him sharply on the head with the tip of a finger. 'Sorry, what were you saying?'

Hide squints curiously at him, then glances out the window. He spots the name of the station their train is pulling into and he grins, giving Kaneki a knowing look that makes the latter think he should probably be worried.

'Oho. I see.'

Kaneki feels his face flush and he unconsciously pulls his bag tight against his chest as if using it as a shield for anything Hide might say next. Whenever his friend gets that look on his face Kaneki is usually in for a bout of teasing and he's not quite sure he's currently emotionally prepared for it. 'What?'

'I get it, I get now why you wanted to sit in _this_ carriage particularly.' Hide winks. 'He's back at school, isn't he?'

'I don't know what you're talking about.' Kaneki lies, knowing it's futile since the redness of his face gives him away.

Hide winks and points back over Kaneki's shoulder and the boy jerks around the look behind him just as a group of people bustle onto the train. Amongst them, standing several inches taller than most of those around him, is an elegant-looking young man who looks around, spots one of the few empty seats and takes it. He crosses one long leg over the other, shoes carefully polished, and pulls a textbook from his bag to flip through the pages.

Kaneki feels like his face might actually combust because Hide is staring at him so intently.

'You know you're a creeper, right? You know that getting on a particular carriage because someone else always gets on that same carriage, but never going to talk to them and instead just staring at them from the corner of your eye is like... pretty unhealthy behaviour, right?'

'Not so loud!' Kaneki hisses, alarmed and more than a little mortified.

'Just _talk_ to him. Just say hello. As him what book he's reading, or something.'

'I can't!'

The truth is Kaneki knows a little more about the stranger on the train than he probably should. The young man is only a few years his senior and--judging from the station that he always disembarks at--Kaneki guesses he attends Haruna Gakuin University... though he hasn't yet figured out what course. He boards the train at the same time two days a week--maybe all five, but the other two don't seem to overlap with Kaneki's own schedule--and always comes in through the same door on the same carriage, the one right by the escalators on the train platform.

Kaneki hadn't noticed him at first. It was only after several weeks of attending his own classes that he had begun to notice the same face making constant appearances on his everyday commute. Hide only shares one overlapping train ride with him, so Kaneki had taken to entertaining himself by watching the handsome young man instead.

At first he'd thought the other was a model. He certainly had the looks for it, and the clothes--every outfit was a work of art (perhaps a little abstract, on some days)--and he carries himself with an elegance that seems out of place in the normal hustle of the train. He doesn't look like the type of person who should even be _taking_ the train, he looks like an heir of some kind who's used to being transported around by his own personal chauffeur.

He absolutely fascinates Kaneki, whose life isn't all that exciting on the best of days.

Kaneki begins to conjure up things in his imagination for the stranger as if he were a character in one of the lengthy books that Kaneki likes so much. He imagines that yes, the young man _is_ a wealthy heir, but he likes the train trip because he's interested in seeing how the rest of the people in society function, how they get around. He does it out of curiosity, to observe.

Of course the stranger entirely debunks at least part of this by never really paying much attention to the people around him, instead preferring to keep his head down and his eyes on whatever novel he happens to be reading at the time.

It takes precisely one month before Kaneki is able to come to terms with the fact that he's developed a crush. He realises it in the way that the stranger thoughtfully taps his fingertip against his lips with a frown when he is really focused on his text. He realises it in the way the stranger gives a careful tug on his clothing as he stands, straightening the fabric which--to Kaneki--always looks impeccable anyway. He realises it in the way that once they had caught one another's eye and Kaneki's embarrassment had been so great he had actually stood up and gotten off the train at the wrong stop.

Kaneki had refused to actually _call_ it a crush for the longest time, but a crush is what it is and when he sits in his lecture daydreaming about a young man whose name he doesn't even know, idly sketching his face in the margins of his textbook, there is really only so much that can be done before acceptance of this fact is inevitable.

'I'm going to ask him what he's reading.' Hide says with resolve, beginning to rise from his seat. Kaneki scrabbles at him, finds purchase on his sleeve and swiftly yanks him down again.

'Don't you dare!'

Hide laughs and bats him off and Kaneki watches in horror as his best friend approaches the object of his daydreams. _Oh god, I can't watch. Don't you dare mention me, Hide, don't you dare...!_ And yet, as he wishes desperately for Hide not to embarrass him, a small part of him hopes his friend will point him out to the stranger after all.

He can't hear what they're saying; Hide is standing over the other, motioning to the book. The student looks surprised but pleased and nods as Hide speaks before saying something in return. Hide holds out his hand and the stranger grips it firmly in a handshake before Kaneki's friend gives a parting wave as he heads back to his seat beside Kaneki.

'I'm scared to ask what just happened.'

Hide grins slightly. 'I asked what he was reading, that he had just looked so into it I _had_ to know what it was and he said some author and some title I had never heard of, but I said I'd always been meaning to read it.'

For a moment Kaneki feels irrationally jealous. He's sure _he_ would have known the book... maybe they could have even discussed it! But then he remembers the reason Hide had gone over in the first place. Because Kaneki couldn't bring himself to do it. 'You shook hands with him?'

'I told him I thought I recognised him from high school and asked him his name. Then said I must have been mistaken, but that he had good taste in books. Then I shook his hand and here I am, see how easy that was?' Hide winks at Kaneki and leans in close to him, dropping his voice low as if he's sharing some sort of secret. 'It's Tsukiyama Shuu, by the way. His name.'

 _Tsukiyama_. Kaneki squeezes the poor bookbag even tighter as he looks across at the other again, Tsukiyama having returned to his book. _The moon and the mountains. It suits him so well, oh my god._

'Kaneki you are _so_ transparent.' Hide is laughing at him but Kaneki doesn't even care. He's already imagining a conversation with Tsukiyama in his head, how it might go if he one day manages to screw up the courage to introduce himself without making a complete idiot out of himself at the same time.

Only two stops later, Kaneki watches as Tsukiyama marks the page in his book and gathers his things, slinging his bag over his shoulder and tucking his book under his arm. As he moves to the door, another passenger bumps into him and the book drops, skidding along the ground to rest at Kaneki's feet. The boy stares at it for what feels like an eternity before reaching down and picking it up.

When he looks up, Tsukiyama is standing over him, looking expectantly down at him and the book in his hands. Kaneki wordlessly holds it up to him and the student smiles warmly.

' _Merci_.' he says as he takes it with a charming wink that makes Kaneki want to drop through the floor, then the handsome young man quickly darts out the door just as the warning chimes sound to indicate that they're closing.

Hide teases him mercilessly for the rest of the trip, but Kaneki feels it's entirely worth it.


	6. Christmas Eve | Delicacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukiyama can make a good meal even with the limits of their diet. Kaneki helps. Sort of.

‘Now tie a tight knot… secure it well, Kaneki-kun.’

Kaneki’s face is red as he focuses on his task. He can feel Tsukiyama behind him, his hands on the half-ghoul’s shoulders as the gourmet guides his actions but it’s incredibly distracting and Kaneki’s fingers aren’t as deft as they might have been under normal circumstances. The twine pinched between his thumb and forefingers slips free and he mumbles a curse under his breath.

Behind him he hears a chuckle, soft and amused and he feels his face grow even warmer at the other’s mirth as he presses his lips tightly together to resist snapping at him. His breath hitches as Tsukiyama’s hands glide down along his arms to rest over his own before guiding his fingers back to the string.

‘Try again. And pull it tight, it has to be secure.’

‘I can’t. Every time I attempt the second loop of the knot it loosens again.’

Tsukiyama ’tsk’s quietly and closes Kaneki’s grip on the twine, instructing him to pull tight. When the half ghoul does so, the gourmet places a firm pressure on the knot with his fingertip which allows Kaneki to double it without giving it the room to loosen again.

‘There.’ Pulling his hands back, Tsukiyama leans over his shoulder and smiles at him and Kaneki swallows nervously.

It’s not that the man makes him nervous in general--Kaneki can handle Tsukiyama at his worst, can defend himself from the man’s usually unwanted advances. But it’s Christmas Eve, and he had allowed the other to invite him over to make a meal together and this is entirely Tsukiyama’s home ground with Kaneki being only a wary visitor. Here, Tsukiyama is king.

Kaneki can handle the man at his worst, but he isn’t entirely sure he can handle him at his _best_.

The tray on the kitchen counter holds two neat little parcels of meat, bound in twine. Kaneki hadn’t been there for the kill and he hadn’t asked Tsukiyama where the meat had come from--he would either trust the gourmet to have taken something to Kaneki’s taste or remain ignorant of the life that had been lost for the sake of their evening meal. When it comes to Tsukiyama, ignorance is bliss more often than not.

‘What’s the point of tying them up like that?’ he frowns as he looks down at them. The little packages look relatively unremarkable devoid of the herbs and spices humans would normally put into a roast.

Tsukiyama hums and moves away from behind Kaneki to lean against the kitchen counter instead. Kaneki feels the cold absence of him ghost over his back and he nearly wishes the other had stayed there. ‘Curled in on itself like this, the meat keeps its softness and juiciness in the centre while the outside cooks.’ he tilts his head, smiling at Kaneki. ‘Plus the things we’ve added to the centre will have time to be absorbed by the outer layers, adding a complexity to the usual flavour. The raw meat will always taste better to us, but there is a lot that can be said for the way cooking meat can change the taste and texture of a delicacy.’

'If you say so.' Kaneki tries to sound uninterested but in all honesty they had spent the better part of an hour preparing the meat into perfect slices and wrapping it tight around the questionable contents pulled from various parts of the human body that Kaneki didn't want to think about too long. He had not been able to understand how this combination of human remains could possibly constitute a better meal than the meat simply being unprepared and devoured fresh, but Tsukiyama had asked Kaneki to trust him on this.

And Kaneki had. At least in this, he felt that Tsukiyama was the most knowledgeable.

'Now what?'

'Now,' Tsukiyama reaches past him and takes hold of the tray to pull it closer to himself on the counter. 'We add a sauce, and put it into the oven.' He reaches over to retrieve a container containing thick red fluid and Kaneki's stomach growls at the mere sight of it. Shocked and embarrassed he covers his stomach with both hands as if that might contain any further noises as Tsukiyama looks amused.

'Soon, Kaneki-kun.' He peels the lid from the container and pours the blood--a little thickened since it's been drawn from the body--carefully over their creations. Kaneki watches as the thick red liquid rolls along the tops of their upcoming meal, spills down the sides and oozes outward on the tray. His stomach growls again, and he licks his lips.

Keeping about half of their 'sauce' in the container, Tsukiyama takes the tray and sets it in the oven. 'There won't be much of the sauce left when this is done; instead it will crisp on the outside of the meat.' he explains as he adjusts the temperature. 'Which is why we keep a little fresh, for later.'

'How long will it take?'

'We will keep it rare. Perhaps thirty to forty minutes? We can check on it then.'

Kaneki groans at the idea of having to wait until dinner for that long. He's been hungry for a while, the smell of meat and Tsukiyama's scent filling his nose for the past few hours and although he should have known that a roast would take time, hearing the gourmet say it still makes his stomach flip in protest. His eyes slide to the container on the counter and Tsukiyama notices, stepping closer and taking a hold of Kaneki's hand, pulling it closer to him as he steps in near the half-ghoul.

'Don't snack, _mi amore_. We don't want to ruin your appetite.'

Kaneki smirks, keeping eye contact as he reaches over and purposely dips his finger into the blood, drawing it back to pop that same finger into his mouth. He swirls his tongue around it, exhaling contently at the taste before pulling the finger out from between his lips with a lewd pop. Tsukiyama watches the entire display with close interest, and when Kaneki's mouth is no longer occupied he leans down and kisses him with a lot more restraint than he normally shows. The hand not loosely gripping Kaneki's wrist slides over his shoulder, around to the back of his neck and up into his hair, fingers curling in the strands but that needy, almost sloppy eagerness he usually has around the half-ghoul is absent.

Kaneki is thankful for it; Tsukiyama can be more than a handful when he's too eager. His hand gropes blindly back across the counter to find the plastic container, knocking against it for a moment before he finds the rim, but in his eagerness to take a small dip of its contents he manages to put his hand practically in the damn thing and the two break apart as Kaneki hisses.

'Damn it. I didn't mean--'

He stops talking as the gourmet moves his hand from the back of Kaneki's neck to grasp his wrist and pull it in closer as he leans in. Kaneki watches with wide eyes as Tsukiyama tilts his head, tongue darting out to catch a red drop rolling slowly along the side of Kaneki's hand, dragging his way up along the trail it's left behind until he reaches the tip of his pinky finger. The half-ghoul groans softly as Tsukiyama's lips close around it and his tongue glides along the digit to clean it off with a loving gentleness before he moves over to the next.

Kaneki's breaths become slower, deeper, more focused as he watches Tsukiyama and thrills in the sight of his fingers vanishing between the gourmet's lips, each light scrape of teeth causing his breath to hitch just slightly. Abruptly, from some kind of impulse he jerks his hand aside, both freeing it from Tsukiyama's hold and leaving a smear of red from the corner of the man's mouth across over his cheek.

For his part the man looks mostly nonplussed by the action, lifting his hand as if to wipe the mess away but Kaneki catches it before it can and leans in to press his lips against Tsukiyama's cheek, his tongue flicking out over the smeared blood as he follows it back to Tsukiyama's lips and this time he's eager, lifting his bloodied hand between their mouths so Tsukiyama can kiss and bite at his fingers as well as against his mouth.

The gourmet pushes him back against the counter, the edge digging in against Kaneki's lower back and making him wince slightly before he's distracted from the discomfort by possessive kisses and roaming hands.

' _Est-ce que tu as faim_ _?_ ' he murmurs against Kaneki's mouth and while the latter can't understand him he still groans an affirmation, not even caring what the words mean, only knowing that it's a question and that right in that moment he'd say yes to almost anything Tsukiyama asks of him. So he's startled when Tsukiyama pulls away and arches a brow at him. ' _Bon_. Keep that appetite for later.'

Kaneki stares at him, flustered. 'What?'

'Help me set the table. I will also light some candles in the room, to set the mood.'

'I hope it'll be a better mood than the one I'm going to be in if you keep me hanging like this, Tsukiyama.' Kaneki tries to bring a threat into his voice but to his dismay he sounds almost whiny instead, like a petulant child who hasn't gotten their way. There's still a smear of red at the corner of Tsukiyama's mouth and Kaneki reaches for it but the gourmet gets to it first, wiping it away with a handkerchief from his pocket. He gives Kaneki a wry, knowing smile.

'We have all evening, _mon cher_. All _night_.'

Kaneki scowls for a moment, but he isn't really angry. Not when it's Christmas Eve. Not when he's here with a man who has proved his loyalty and love to him a thousand times over. Not when they have a roast--a real, honest to god _roast_ \--cooking in the oven and a candelit dinner of Tsukiyama-esque levels of ridiculous romance ahead of them.

It's not the postcard Christmas that Kaneki might have envisioned for himself, but he thinks it will do just fine.


	7. :re

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasaki sneaks his boyfriend into his shared CCG apartment in the most unsubtle way. Yep.

'So, uh...' Sasaki stands before the group of young investigators and clears his throat, pulling nervously at his collar which is feeling just a little tight that day. There's a light sweat on his brow and under the scrutiny of his team he only feels his nerves stretch further. 'So this... this is...'

'Tsukiyama Shuu.' he steps forward and bows low before the other people in the room. Everyone's eyes move from Sasaki to Tsukiyama instead, everyone's except the dark-haired young man in the corner. Tsukiyama thinks he looks pale to the point of sickliness and his gaze never once moves from Sasaki. That hawk's gaze spells trouble, Tsukiyama thinks.

Around them, some of the people in the small team bow back in greeting. A youth with an eyepatch looks shy and Tsukiyama regards him with interest but one of the others--a tall boy that's almost all long limbs and a wild-eyed look--steps in beside the other and possessively takes his hand. Tsukiyama smiles in acquiescence; he knows a claim when he sees it.

'So who is this dude again, exactly?' the long-limbed young man looks like a delinquent, Tsukiyama thinks. He wonders if the CCG are just letting in anybody to be an investigator these days. He also doesn't like the tone the other takes and smiles thinly at it.

'He's...' Sasaki falters and Tsukiyama looks over at him. They had discussed this conversation in depth but the half-ghoul was nervous and the gourmet was worried he would slip up. 'He's the key witness in an ongoing investigation. We need to keep him safe from potential retaliation, so he'll be staying here with us for a little while.'

'The CCG has housing for witness protection, why here?' the otherwise silent boy with the dark hair pipes up, looking sour. Tsukiyama decides he doesn't like him much.

'It's only a temporary solution while they secure a place for me.' Tsukiyama says with his most charming smile, but the rude young man in the corner doesn't even _glance_ at him, the self-centred little shit.

'So...' Sasaki indicates the two closest by. Their hands are linked, even though Tsukiyama can see them trying to hide it behind the shorter one's back. 'These are Shirazu Ginshi and Mutsuki Tooru.' Mutsuki raises his free hand in a shy wave at the mention of his name and Tsukiyama gives him a nod of acknowledgement. 'Over there, that's Urie Kuki.'

Only now does Urie meet Tsukiyama's gaze and the gourmet sees the distrust in the young man's eyes. Well, whatever--the gourmet has more important things on his mind. It isn't like he'll be living with these kids--really, isn't that all they are?--for very long.

'And finally we have, uh...' Sasaki falters and Tsukiyama sees the girl curled up on the couch. He is sure he'd seen her paying attention before, but apparently the goings-on in the room hadn't been all _that_ interesting to her because she now lays sleeping, snoring softly with her head pillowed on her arms. '...that's Yonebayashi Saiko.' he gives a long-suffering sigh and Tsukiyama gets the feeling that this isn't the first time the girl has fallen asleep in the middle of something.

' _E_ _nchanté_.' Tsukiyama directs it to everyone in the room but the response is lukewarm.

'Where is he going to sleep? All the bedrooms are taken.' Urie asks shortly.

'Undignified as it is, I'll take the couch.' the gourmet says generously but Sasaki interrupts him.

'No, that isn't fair. You can have my bed, I'll sleep on the couch. I do paperwork until quite late anyway. Here, now you've met everyone, let me show you around.'

His voice sounds slightly panicked and the gourmet can see that the other is nervous, his eyes darting from Tsukiyama to the other investigators in the room. Perhaps it would be better for them to get out of sight for the time being, at least until Sasaki is able to steel his resolve again. 'Well then, lead the way and I will follow.'

The very second they're both in the door of Sasaki's room and the investigator snaps the door shut behind them Sasaki sags against the wall and gives Tsukiyama a stricken look. 'They know.'

The gourmet waves a dismissive hand. 'They don't know anything beyond what you've told them.'

'Urie knows _some_ thing.'

Tsukiyama laughs. 'He's only suspicious because you're so nervous. If I was in his shoes I'd suspect something was the matter, too. Would you relax...?' he tilts the investigator's chin up to regard him with a smile. ' _Mon cher_ , we both got what we wanted; me getting to stay with you for a little while.' he bends down, ghosts his lips over Sasaki's. 'Isn't that _tres bien_?'

Sasaki groans. 'You're _so_ weird. I don't know how you managed to... to...' his protest fades out and then they're kissing like schoolkids, sloppy and eager, a little clumsy with the excitement that on the other side of the door is a whole group of people who they absolutely _must not_ be caught by. Sasaki threads his hands into Tsukiyama's hair because in the very short time he's known the man he's already learnt that he cares a bit too much about his appearance, and mussed hair is the tamest but one of the more effective of punishments for Tsukiyama's teasing.

For now though, the gourmet doesn't seem bothered. His tongue dips in past Sasaki's lips and the investigator whines needily. They're still in the opening stages of their relationship, they've barely known one another for a month and so every kiss is exciting. But here, in the apartment Sasaki shares with his co-workers there's just that touch of added thrill.

Sasaki pulls away first, face flushed as he wipes the back of his hand over his lips, dropping his gaze bashfully. Tsukiyama loves how he looks like that... it's so _different_ to how he used to know him... not that Sasaki is privy to that. Tsukiyama had introduced himself in the way any stranger would introduce themselves to someone else, and after a few 'chance' meetings in their local café he had slipped Sasaki his phone number.

He had to admit he'd been surprised to actually get a call though.

'Are you looking forward to having me around all the time? At least until you tire of me?' Tsukiyama smirks down at him, brushing a few stray locks of hair back from Sasaki's eyes as the other directs his gaze back up at him.

The investigator huffs. 'You'll have to behave yourself or else we're going to get caught the very first day of this ridiculous scheme and we'll both me in trouble.'

The gourmet laughs again and leans down to press another, chaste kiss to Sasaki's lips. 'Neither of us are going to be sleeping on the couch, are we?'

' _Definitely_ not.'

 


End file.
